CJ ENM’s 30th Anniversary: The Best tvN K-dramas to Watch

Wondering what K-dramas to watch next? CJ ENM might have a couple of suggestions for you.

CJ ENM is one of the biggest South Korean entertainment companies, the powerhouse behind tvN, OCN, and Studio Dragon. Every year, CJ ENM gives their Visionary award to artists who embody “a bold new vision“. Past winners include BTS, IU, Yoo Yeo-jeong, Park Eun-bin, Song Hye-kyo, Squid Game creator Hwang Dong-hyeok and filmmaker Park Chan-wook.

This year, CJ ENM turns 30 and the 2025 Visionary Selection “celebrates CJ ENM’s 30th anniversary as a trailblazer in Korea’s cultural industry since 1995, highlighting the history of K-content that has made a No. 1 impact and driven paradigm shifts in the industry.“

Besides choosing 7 groundbreaking tvN K-dramas for their Visionary award, CJ ENM is also offering a special theatrical screening of Misaeng: Incomplete Life, the beloved, iconic workplace drama celebrating its 10th anniversary.

You can check the complete list of CJ ENM’s Visionary titles (which also includes films, plays, and entertainment shows) by clicking here.

Have you watched all the CJ ENM 2025 Visionary K-dramas? Maybe your next favourite is on this list:

Jang Geu-rae (Yim Si-wan) has always loved Go, but when he fails to become a professional player, he’s faced with the harsh reality of an office job. Armed with only a high school diploma in a world that celebrates long and complex resumés, Geu-rae manages to secure a position as an intern at trading company One International thanks to a recommendation. Alongside his colleagues, he needs to adapt to corporate culture and find a way to live a life that is truly his.

Back in 2014, Misaeng started small but slowly became a hit. It was clear why: it portrays the struggles of young white-collar workers with realism but also with an enormous dose of empathy. The show is now considered to be a classic, praised for its sharp script, meaningful cinematography, and excellent performances.

Misaeng is maddening but comforting, harsh but inspirational. Through an insightful and charming character-driven script, the show emphasises themes of tenacity, integrity, human connection, and personal growth. Blessed with an endlessly talented ensemble cast, Misaeng offers poignant and rewarding character arcs, allowing its characters to recognise their shortcomings and thrive. Their three-dimensional personalities are easy to relate to: they are wonderfully vulnerable, naturally flawed, and thoroughly fascinating. They have fears and dreams. They struggle but persist. They fail but also succeed.

They are human, just like us.

As Jang Geu-rae and Co. navigate life in front of our eyes, we’re reminded that even the smallest of our actions matters, that we can always recreate ourselves, and that we can redesign our journeys. Misaeng is an enthralling, moving, and timeless portrayal of life, with its victories and losses and its boundless opportunity for change.

You can watch Misaeng: Incomplete Life on:

In Reply 1988, we follow five childhood friends and their families as they prepare for the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul and navigate the social-political changes of the period. They live in the neighbourhood of Ssangmun-dong in Northern Seoul, a place that bustles with such energy that it becomes an extra character in the narrative.

Reply 1988 is another timeless classic that celebrates its 10th anniversary in 2025. An unforgettable ode to youth, family, and friendship, Reply 1988 makes us laugh, cry, and delight in nostalgia.

More than the plot, the script lives and dies by its characters: a group of well-rounded, relatable, and lovable people that charm us into following their everyday shenanigans. As our five young protagonists face the challenges of growing up and pursuing their dreams, they are reminded — and, in turn, remind us — of the magical, unbreakable bonds that we create with our parents, siblings, and friends. The love that ties them together pushes the narrative forward, ignites their development as characters, and encourages us to appreciate the relationships that made us who we are.

Reply 1988 is hilarious, romantic, dramatic, silly, and — despite its long episodes — never stale. Mirroring our own lives, its narrative is filled with good and bad days, beauty in the simplicity of the domestic, and memories that we so earnestly cherish.

And, of course, with a cast that counts on Lee Hye-ri, Park Bo-gum, Go Kyung-pyo, Sung Dong-il, Ra Mi-ran, Ahn Jae-hong, Kim Sun-young, and Yoo Jae-myung, among many others, Reply 1988 is a show that defined Korean television.

You can watch Reply 1988 on:

Park Wan (Go Hyun-jung) is a 30-something-year-old translator who is introduced to her mother’s elderly friends. Wan finds inspiration and wisdom in their journey, as they rediscover themselves and navigate their golden years.

Dear My Friends is one of those rare shows that flawlessly and beautifully portrays life. It explores reality with such heart, such sincerity, and such joy that it is difficult to match. The script unravels at a slow and comforting pace, allowing us to cherish every second with a group of endearing and incredibly relatable characters.

Delicately powerful and profoundly compassionate, Dear My Friends reminds us that we’re constantly and eternally re-creating ourselves, chasing our best version regardless of age. The narrative is straightforward, structuring the plot around the struggles that we all face in our everyday lives and celebrating our human capacity for kindness and resilience, the selflessness of motherhood, the beauty of human connection, and the transience of existence.

The characters make you laugh and cry — and that’s no wonder, considering that this story is led by legends such as Kim Hye-ja, Na Moon-hee, Youn Yuh-jung, Kim Young-ok, Go Doo-shim, Park Won-sook, Joo Hyun and Shin Goo. With elegance and tenderness, Dear My Friends offers its characters the opportunity to grow and redefine themselves. It also offers us a thoughtful and heartwarming story that makes us appreciate our own lives and loved ones a bit more.

You can watch Dear My Friends on:

Kim Shin (Gong Yoo) was a decorated military general from the Goryeo Dynasty who was cursed by the Almighty to stay immortal forever. He’s now a Goblin, fated to witness his loved ones die while he continues living until he meets his bride. The Goblin’s bride is the only person who can see and remove the sword that keeps him chained to the curse.

Years later, Ji Eun-tak (Kim Go-eun) is a cheerful high-schooler who can see ghosts and leads a lonely, difficult life after the loss of her mother. After she accidentally summons the Goblin, Kim Shin realises that Eun-tak might be able to end his painful immortality. As their lives become intertwined with the Grim Reaper (Lee Dong-wook) and Sunny (Yoo In-na), a fried chicken restaurant owner, these four people realise that their bonds transcend life and death.

Goblin is a fairy tale of epic proportions — and that’s the allure that held us spellbound throughout its 16 episodes. Its narrative counts on fantastic forces and beings whose many lives are woven together in a battle between good and evil. Its characters, who are fairly childlike but profoundly humane, battle not only the monsters that threaten to ruin their lives, but also the monsters that live within.

This fantastical love story kept us guessing, week after week, wondering how our heroes would defeat the villains. But nothing is black and white — and we might, at times, be the villains of our own existence. And so, by mixing spirituality, folklore, romance, and mystery, Goblin offered a story that explores fate, death, forgiveness, and, ultimately, the miracle of love.

Goblin is permeated with the ephemerality of existence and reminds us that every moment (shines) matters. Thanks to the portrayal of a range of relationships — friendship, sisterhood, brotherhood, romance —, Goblin is a dynamic and entertaining watch. We also need to mention that Lee Dong-wook and Yoo In-na are one of the most iconic couples in the history of Korean television — their characters’ relationship, full of longing, grief, and tenderness, is one to be watched and re-watched.

The entire cast delivers incredible performances, but Goblin also stands out for its gorgeous compositions, exceptional use of colour, and unforgettable score and soundtrack.

You can watch Goblin on:

In 2015, Park Hae-young (Lee Je-hoon) is a criminal profiler who finds a walkie-talkie that puts him in contact with Detective Jae-han (Cho Jin-woong) in the past. Thanks to Jae-han’s help, Hae-young is able to solve a 15-year-old kidnapping and murder case that places him in a cold case team led by Detective Cha Soo-hyun (Kim Hye-soo). Soo-hyun has been looking for Jae-han, her mentor, who disappeared years ago. As the contact between Hae-young and Jae-han starts changing both the present and the past, they try to bring closure to the unsolved crimes they encounter.

Inspired by real-life crimes in Korea, Signal skillfully combines fantasy and thriller to create a story that goes beyond your commonplace crime-solving show. The series hooks us in from the very start, guiding us through twists and turns and highs and lows. Besides a well-paced, well-constructed narrative, Signal also excels at characterisation. We’re offered a group of poignant characters, who we are automatically led to root for (or completely despise). Their struggles, determination, stubbornness, hope, and anger get under our skin, and we can’t help but feel that we need to see them through this rollercoaster of a ride.

Characterisation is excellent thanks to not only a solid script but also fascinating performances. The cast breathes life into their roles, strengthening the emotional complexity of the narrative and pulling us further into the story.

Signal makes us wonder what we would change in our own pasts and reminds us that the monsters that live in real life are much scarier than even the nastiest fictional ones.

Don’t take my word for it, though. Thanks to an outstanding script, performances, and cinematography, Signal was one of the most popular and acclaimed K-dramas of 2016, having received the Best Screenplay award at the 5th APAN Star Awards and 52nd Baeksang Arts Awards, where it also received the Best Drama and Best Actress (Kim Hye-soo) awards.

Now is the right time to (re-)watch Signal, as its second season has recently been confirmed to be in production.

You can watch Signal on:

Lee Ji-an (IU) is a young woman living in poverty and drowning in debt. She does her very best to care for her sick grandmother, the only person she has left in the world. While working a temporary job, she meets Park Dong-hun (Lee Sun-kyun), a middle-aged engineer. Dong-hun is trying to get by as his two unemployed brothers rely on him, his wife is having an affair, and his company is currently facing an internal crisis. Surprisingly enough for the two of them, their encounter might be the key to a new life and the healing of their hearts.

While Dear My Friends is a brighter depiction of life, My Mister focuses on the more raw, more melancholic side of existence. It portrays the best and worst in human nature, offering us nuanced, well-rounded, and realistic characters. They have qualities and flaws. They make mistakes. They want to be seen and understood. They try, fail, but persist. They come to understand that they design their own fates. They survive.

And that’s the heart of My Mister: the ways we choose to survive — and how the joys and sorrows of survival define our lives. My Mister feels so realistic at times that it becomes slightly uncomfortable, and yet, it ultimately offers a cathartic experience. It makes us confront our own struggles, embrace our conflicting emotions, and move on. It tells us that a new beginning always starts with us.

The universe of My Mister is full of darkness and gloom, but that only allows for the beauty of the mundane to shine even brighter. The little victories and the growth of these characters become even more touching, more meaningful, in the face of all the pain they’ve faced. They may be broken, but the relationships that they establish, based on empathy, generosity, and acceptance, help them become more than they ever thought they could. And the affection that surges in these bonds goes beyond simplistic portrayals of familial, romantic, or platonic love. It’s an emotion that takes different shapes: a mix of respect, admiration, companionship, loyalty, and solidarity.

And that’s a marvel to watch.

Through a genuine script, remarkable performances, and striking cinematography, My Mister turns the ordinary into extraordinary.

You can watch My Mister on:

An ordinary working woman, Yumi (Kim Go-eun), is taking each day as it comes after suffering a painful breakup. Inside, her love cells have fallen into a coma. Even though her other cells are working hard to bring her love cells back to life, Yumi’s love prospects look grim. That is, until she meets the game developer Goo Woong (Ahn Bo-hyun), who is soon smitten by her. He struggles to express his feelings, but as his love cells start to mend Yumi’s broken heart, they both grow as individuals.

Yumi’s Cells is a one-of-a-kind K-drama. After all, half of the story is told through adorable 3D-animated cells that represent our emotions!

At its core, Yumi’s Cells is a straightforward rom-com, but thanks to its unique and whimsical perspective, it becomes an intriguing exploration of human nature. Its peculiar format helps us put ourselves in its characters’ shoes, encouraging us to understand their motivations, hesitations, and emotions.

The show explores the different moments of romantic relationships, creating an entertaining journey that we can all relate to. It reminds us of the excitement of falling in love, the cringe and embarrassing mishaps, the hopes and fears. Most importantly, it explores our sense of self-respect and identity when in a relationship — the decisions, the priorities, and the boundaries we have to set for ourselves. The characters in Yumi’s Cells learn that we can be more than our mistakes and that we can always gather the courage needed to choose and live the life that truly makes us happy.

Kim Go-eun offers a memorable performance alongside an all-around excellent cast. Yumi’s Cells is a fun, exciting, and refreshing take on your typical rom-com K-drama.

A quick reminder that the show has three seasons. The second one was released in 2022 and stars Park Jin-young as the male lead. Meanwhile, the third and final season was released in 2026 and stars Kim Jae-won as Yumi’s romantic interest.

You can watch Yumi’s Cells on:

Hong Hae-in (Kim Ji-won) is the CEO of the Queens Group department store. Her husband, Baek Hyun-woo (Kim Soo-hyun), is an intelligent lawyer who comes from the small village of Yongduri. Three years after their fairytale wedding, their relationship is on the rocks, and her family is faced with a crisis. Together, they need to come up with a miracle that can save themselves, their marriage, and their family.

Despite the script full of unpredictable twists, Queen of Tears is, deep down, a story about Hae-in and Hyun-woo. But not just about their broken marriage. It’s about them as individuals: two people who fail to understand themselves and others. It’s also about their inability to communicate with each other and with their loved ones. They may be stubborn, proud, and fearful, but, despite their flaws, they are lovable characters. From the beginning, you can see their pain and their qualities: they are also strong, resilient, and kind. Their imperfect selves help us identify with them. We want to follow their journey as they decode their own emotions and actions — and each other’s.

The suspense, the longing, the obstacles — all of these factors kept us coming back. But more than that: Queen of Tears rightfully shocked audiences by challenging the patriarchy and introducing a story that, at first, rebels against the traditional tropes that we all know so well. Here, we have the men of the family preparing the ceremonial food. Here, we have the girl being the rich and powerful, the one who flies to the countryside after the man she loves.

Even though the last few episodes reintroduce tropes that weren’t needed, Queen of Tears is a show that entertains and motivates us to be braver, more forgiving, and more hopeful. It reminds us to appreciate what we have around us, say what we need to say, and move past our defeats and sadness.

For a complete review and analysis of Queen of Tears, you can read our article about it here.

You can watch Queen of Tears on:

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So, what tvN K-dramas would you have chosen to celebrate CJ ENM’s 30th anniversary? Share your favourites in the comments!